GUITARIST REACTS TO | Allan Holdsworth - Looking Glass

[@Mike383HK]

Dude, he's the only one. Steve Vai loved him, yet, he couldn't figure him out. He's one of a kind. By the way, that's the title of Bruford's album.

[@Snardbafulator]

Good lord, there's no bass backing track. Dave Carpenter (RIP) is a virtuoso, who absolutely thumps with this thumb while playing chords with his fingers. There are vids of Slavic classical guitarists who teach you how to play polyrhythms with different fingers ;) Allan would be appalled that anyone suggested he used a backing track.

[@BJazz19]

he did use backing tracks though before steve hunt joined the group. they needed a chordal instrument while allan was soloing so they used backing tracks in early 80s. actually, that was the main reason why steve hunt joined the group in the first place. steve hunt says that in the interview he did with evan marien.

[@Snardbafulator]

@@BJazz19 Sure, but chordal tracks aren't improvised. Obviously cuts like Tokyo Dream and Checking Out have overdubbed guitar parts. Allan also had keys on all of his studio albums from Metal Fatigue onward, Alan Pasqua, Billy Childs and then Steve Hunt, which is not to say he was resistant to chorused guitar chords under his solos on those albums, too. And Allan's solos were dubbed onto backing tracks from a different studio when he guested, as on Truth In Shredding and Heavy Machinery. I don't think Allan used backing tracks playing live as a trio, though; there are none on All Night Wrong with Chad and Jimmy and I've heard none on the live trio stuff on KZbin. It's also one thing to use a chordal backing track, quite another for bass and drums which improvise in real time along with the guitar. You can't really get away with that in high-level fusion.

[@BJazz19]

@@Snardbafulator Of course, I can't even imagine Allan having backing tracks replacing the parts where people should be improvising. He always believed in maximum improvisation in every sense, hated the idea of repeating any solos, phrases, licks. I'm just stating the fact that he used backing tracks in some situations. Even though they were just chords, he hated using them hence the they got Hunt in the band.

[@Snardbafulator]

@@BJazz19 It's important to distinguish overdubbing in a studio and backing tracks in a live situation. All I can go on is my own experience as a major Allan fan and I've heard nothing live I could attribute to a backing track, which isn't to contradict Steve Hunt. And it's getting easier to tell now that a lot of tapes are getting put on KZbin from the early 80s that Allan wouldn't dare allow when he was alive, being such an often self-limiting perfectionist.

[@MercutioUK2006]

Just an FYI. Allan didn't sweep pick and he always claimed he "couldn't do that" (but admired Frank Gambale).....he also didn't pick a great deal and in fact worked to de-emphasies that pick attack. What you're hearing is wide-interval phrases, blistering scales and arpeggios incorporating string-skipping using left hand legato. His legato technique is widely lauded as the best ever but even from the late 60's it was staggering, to say nothing of the fully developed version we saw in the 80s and 90s. He practised placing accents wherever he wanted, with whatever finger he needed in order to develop a much smoother, saxophone/windinstrument inspired tone. Let me hit you with a couple of quotes: "“I’ve practiced playing scales where you put the accent anywhere, whether on a note you pick or one you don’t. You can say, ‘I’m going to play four notes and accent the second note, but I’m only picking the first note.’ So you make the first a really gentle touch, and then you have to whack the string with your finger on the second. For the third you can be a little slower when it hits the fret, and so on, so that eventually you can put the accent where you want it" "“Over the years I’ve learned that by using the legato technique, I can physically play anything that anyone else can play any way, just by accenting unpicked notes and finding different fingerings.” "one problem with legato technique is that it tends to make you play all the notes running in one direction, and that’s something I tried to stop doing two or three years ago. I try not to play more than three or four notes going in one direction" The man was technically unsurpassed but his compositions and use of theory is where he really blows my mind - it's extremely unconventional.

[@jjk8417]

Amen

[@guitarjonn7103]

Bassist Dave Carpenter on here, was fantastic and yes, that was all him multitasking the lower bass lines and upper chordal harmonies on that 6 string bass. He was just that damn good, rip.

[@rtleppert3419]

Seriously, it’s possible if you knew how dave played it too

[@synthonaplinth5980]

One thing that's awesome about Allan Holdsworth reaction vidoes: There's always that 'Holy sh*t' moment on the viewer's face where they see him playing and think 'Is that even possible?'.

[@timgrady4630]

Gary Novak at the Drum Kit is an all timer ... Holdsworth settled for no less .

[@lex.cordis]

Also, there is no backing track. That's just Dave Carpenter (RIP) being an absolute monster. Keep in mind, the video you are watching is out of sync with the audio.

[@samuraikaito]

That's really impressive. I did notice the audio out of sync but I didn't think he was playing the bass line

[@RobertWrightOneManCovers]

He’s playing the bass line and the chords. He did it all the time.

[@gazza8127]

Give "Nevermore" from UK's self titled debut album a listen, it's a prog masterpiece as is the entire album, it has beautiful form and incredible virtuoso playing from Holdsworth and keyboardist/electric violinist Eddie Jobson (ex Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa) not to mention superb drumming from former Yes/King Crimson member Bill Bruford and great bass work and vocals from former Family/Uriah Heep/King Crimson member John Wetton. Cheers

[@biorythmicshifter]

There is no backing track. Old school live playing. To this day no one touches Holdsworth in my opinion…and Eric Johnson sounds like Holdsworth not the other way around.

[@lex.cordis]

Yep, Dave Carpenter was a beastly bass player. Definitly no backing track.

[@vasantiago3038]

Agree. .Eric can't shake off that Austin twang. .

[@ianm2170]

Wow, this individual is what Jethro Tull would rightfully refer to "as thick as a brick".

[@reubennb2859]

Check out his playing on the prog metal tune Desert Girl, by Planet X in 2007 or Day of The Dead by Derek Sherinian, or perhaps an older appearance like 'in The Dead Of Night' from the band U.K. in 1978. In the early 70s he was still playing like this, try Hazard Profile pt.2 by Soft Machine. I love his solo output but his band playing has often been more accessible for people used to more conventional jazz or prog

[@Pootie_Tang]

He said he never really liked guitar and wanted to play sax, but his family couldn't afford it, so he developed the style of playing (I guess solo part of it) guitar so it would sound more like a sax playing

[@lex.cordis]

Nice video, man. But if you really want your mind blown and really hear what Allan is all about, do a reaction video to his track _The 4.15 Bradford Executive._ People think Allan was some kind of "jazz guy". He was not. During the time period this live performance occured was around the time of his album _The Sixteen Men of Tain,_ by far his most "jazz sounding" record, aside from _None Too Soon,_ which was an album mostly consisting of jazz standards.

[@alonzovillarreal4666]

The 4.15 Bradford Executive is a ball buster man lol

[@stanls265]

Allan Holdsworth's music is like a circus flying thru the air.

[@jeffdubuque3755]

ya man it`s way over my head im a blues player still like it though.

[@fusionfan6883]

Hope you persevere with Allan’s music as it is a universe of inspiration once it stars speaking to you. Btw, he definitely did not use alternate picking, but was in fact the master of legato playing.

[@Gregorypeckory]

The only place the GOAT, Allan ever used backing tracks was at clinics or NAMM, his concerts were always all live; it's just world class musicianship from all.

[@StewSpaull]

Dave Carpenter was a fantastic bassist. So sad that he died so young. The contribution of Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017) to music cannot be overstated. Check out Devil Take the Hindmost from the Koln concert in 1992 - the solo looks physically painful to play.

[@StewSpaull]

Go to 33:14 for the solo kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6iziX5rh8iWi7s

[@StewSpaull]

It’s nice that you talk about his picking. That’s something often overlooked in his playing, because of his status as the legato master. Incidentally, if you’re looking at alternate picking, you need to do a react video to John McLaughlin (clip to follow).

[@StewSpaull]

Here’s the McLaughlin clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnKmlmyAaph7ers Solo at start is Pacific Express; there’s an encore after that, in which he unleashes unaccompanied fury. Interestingly, Holdsworth and McLaughlin are both Yorkshiremen. McLaughlin was born in 1942 in Doncaster; Holdsworth was born in 1946 in Bradford. McLaughlin is still going strong at 80 and his playing is as fantastic as ever. He’s also an extremely cool old bloke!

[@StewSpaull]

Here’s John McLaughlin at Montreux this year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZzMeGB3nd-lqck

[@hamandvaid]

Stew, what a fantastic series of posts you've gifted us with here, thank you so much. For some utterly bizarre reason, I've never seen the Koln 1992 performance even though it's legendary... mythological even! Watching it now - absolutely jawdropping. The solo on Devil is beyond belief. Not just the technicalities, but the "brilliant, original ideas at hyperlight speed". Mind blown!!

[@StreetFighter2010]

Stu Hamm also played bass and chords quite a bit, especially during the Joe Satriani early days (1987-1990).

[@ianm2170]

There is no "backing track". Three people doing what you can't imagine, little boy.

[@timgrady4630]

Novak's work with Chick Corea remains astounding .

[@ToFabricate]

Jazz Fusion is usually a fusion of rock and jazz. Good ear about that tone, man!

[@mattjames4978]

Good video - I like your laid-back style fella. I'm a British guitar enthusiast and never heard of Allan Holdsworth (maybe somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind), so thanks for introducing formally.

[@robinstevenson1098]

Circles, things go in them.

[@steve4765630]

Dave is playing the bass line and chords at the same time. The video is not synced correctly. There are times he’s playing an open B, E or A string and goes up high, where it looks like he’s not playing a low note, but he is. I play 6 string bass and in jazz combos I’ve played like that if there was no keyboard or guitar. No tracks whatsoever.

[@antidote7]

No backing track.

[@brianbatie6650]

Nope, there is no backing track. I play a 7-string, and it is quite possible to play that way, it actually helps a trio, so Allan can solo without needing a keyboard for the chords. As for the guitar tone, it is quite common, listen to Frank Zappa, or the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The picking style is called "legato", which means slurring, or sliding note to note, while picking others. As for "genre" there is no such thing, Jazz was, from birth a fusion of European scales and harmonies, with African rhythms, so as music evolved, "jazz" incorporated all emerging elements, including "rock tones". In fact, the naming of "genres" started out as a classification of the ethnicity of the artists, the word "jazz" evolved from the French word for "garbage" (jass), then it was used as a pejorative term for copulation, then applied to the music of Black players, before becoming a mainstream term for music with improvisational elements. Here's a tip, lose the word "genre" from your vocabulary, hear music as just music. Unbox your brain from the stereotypes taught by the industry "gatekeepers", your music horizons will expand greatly, as will your ideas for playing.

[@petergrohmuller1372]

The biggest mistake people make when hearing Allan Holdsworth for the first time is trying to place him in a familiar genre and then judging what Allan Holdsworth and his colleagues are actually playing. Holdsworth was a genre of its own! R. I. P.

[@DE4D4H34D]

There are no backing tracks going on.. watch another live version of looking glass that shows better angles.. they are all playing on a whole other level than most musicians even know is possible, so i won't fault you for that lol

[@Joeh1154]

I've seen this video many times over. Such a shame that it's out of synch with the music. Holdsworth was way ahead of his time and though he passed in 2017 his catalogue of music is with us forever. And yea, the Bassist is covering everything you hear. This is as live as it gets. I saw him perform twice in the mid 1980's. RIP the master, Allan Holdsworth.

[@henrydennis5851]

The backing track... really

[@swiftusmaximus5651]

Backing track, LMAO. Thats bassist Dave Carpenter

[@-R.Gray-]

A guitarist admired by people like Van Halen, Vai, Satriani, Zappa, McLaughlin, Santana, Alex Skolnick and more, Holdsworth was too jazzy for the rock crowd, and too rocky for the jazz purists, so only guitar fans bought his albums, and he was so broke when he died in 2017 that they had to do a GoFundMe to pay for his funeral.

[@beeradmarr9606]

Hey nice jawb bro u are someone that I could actually enjoy listening to and you seem very intellectual. But I'm not sure I know why are confused about what the bassist is playing and what he's not, cause idk it's sounds like he has 18 fingers to me jus like the other guy.

[@tracyanderson4304]

Chances are he is using pedal effects to comp himself…. There are no backing tracks being played here …

[@paulmorris8762]

the only guitarist in his league is Phil Keaggy

[@joescarpadventures]

It is easy to be awed by Allan's technical prowess and effortless command of the fingerboard. His scalar and melodic palette are extraordinary, and, to me, incomprehensible. All that said, I tire quickly of his soloing--after a few minutes it all sounds the same and I'm ready to listen to something else. Just my personal taste, but I'd much rather listen to some of the great current fingerstyle players like Tommy Emmanuel and Mike Dawes.

[@robinstevenson1098]

I’m with the video producer, I never noticed the time passing!

[@mistrynp]

backing track? nope

[@milesdust3465]

Do you still want to call yourself a guitarist? 🙂

[@randyedwards8738]

What a terrible recording to be introduced to Holdsworth on. He needs Tokyo Dream/Three sheets. F'ing Aga un Los cabesa. That's justified, right?

[@Zaaxun]

It's easy doing a Holdsworth reaction, just sit there with your mouth open and a completely stupified look on your face.

[@christinerobinson9372]

Not loving it. Seems completely directionless. A lot of technical skill, but where is this music going? All bridges with no theme in between.

[@samuraikaito]

Yeah I hear you on that tbh. Not my cup of tea but I can appreciate the skill and technique. Honestly was digging the rhythm section a bit more

[@christinerobinson9372]

@Star Man It is musicality that is missing in this "music". Technical skill, for sure. It's every riff ever known to man, one after the next, played skillfully and powerfully. But there is no musical storyline. It is directionless. When the entire piece is improvised, that's not music. I doubt that he could repeat it note for note. He could certainly produce something that sounded similar, and we wouldn't know the difference. He's the Jackson Pollack of music. It's heresy, I know, but I don't consider Jackson Pollack a great artist either. Not if I could easily produce something similar. Pollack's got a great eye for color. Holdsworth knows a lot of riffs. This is the only piece by Holdsworth I have heard, if he's got something else, something beyond what he did here, I would be interested to hear it. I'm sure he does.

[@christinerobinson9372]

@Star Man I agree, being familiar with his work certainly makes a difference. The first time I heard Gentle Giant I thought it was garbage. I wouldn't say that now, they're great.

[@GusFogle]

@@christinerobinson9372 Holdsworth has lots of stuff that's much easier to get into. This piece Looking Glass is more at the deep end of the pool for his music. What you're perceiving as "directionless" is a perfect example of what's called "non-functional harmony". What that means is that each chord does not function to resolve to a certain scale degree. For example in standard functional harmony, in the key of C, a G7 functions to resolve back to C. With non functional harmony, these "rules" are thrown out the window, and often each chord will be a new tonal center. It can be very jarring if you don't know what to expect. Allan hated to repeat things the same way twice, as far as solos. The "form" of the piece is not complicated, and is repeatable, it just sound chaotic due to the harmony being used. Check out "Devil Take The Hindmost". It's a much more conventional (for Allan) rock instrumental with a great solo.

[@christinerobinson9372]

@@GusFogle It took me about 30 seconds to figure out what to expect and I didn't care for it. But thank you for 'splaining.

[@petersokol1603]

He’s a Progressive player…listen to U.K……The Bill Bruford Band.

[@rigelloar7474]

The performance video is grossly out of sync. . . . . . . .